NAA: Why I Never Told You
by Kathryn Christine Starcrafter
Summary: This happens sometime after Shadow and Maria have their home but before she's pregnant with Marie. In this Shadow tells her what happened to him after she died and he was in GUN's custody. Maria tells him finally what happened between her and Charles in 'Forbidden Hearts', as well as something she never got the chance to say during the Takeover. Shadria


- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **FUTURE-**

Why I Never Told You

Somehow, against fate and fortune, the life they had always fantasized about had come to pass. A life on Mobius. Shadow couldn't deny that the bonds he had formed with the friends he had made helped considerably. Without them, this paradise would never have happened.

It started with Mirage. Somehow, it always started with Mirage. At one point Shadow had mentioned how he and his mate had always dreamed of living a domestic life when they were aboard the ARK. Such a simple desire but one that was virtually ungraspable at the time. Mirage had been among the small gathering he had voiced this to. She had offered the property so indifferently that Shadow had to question what he heard.

The old place had been left to rot on the edge of Lake Spirit, in Knothole. It had been where she had raised Rouge and, while the property normally would have gone to her, she had taken up residence on Angel Island with Knuckles. Mirage, herself, had a small island to her name. So the home remained unoccupied.

When she had taken them to it, the outside was in disarray. The length of the front yard and driveway was overrun by wild grass and saplings, so much so that only the roof could be seen while they made the arduous drive. When they finally got near, the front deck was shattered in places and all the windows boarded up. There was nothing left of its paint job other then a few stray scales that hinted at an alabaster hue. This impression left them highly skeptical, Shadow more so than Maria, who retained her childlike wonder through it all.

Inside the scene was different. Mirage had bolted up the place so obsessively that it had taken a good nine minutes just to open the front door. She had recommend they all bring flashlights, and for good reason. There was no electricity and with the windows sealed the vacant innards of the abandoned building were shrouded in a dusty veil of black. Surprisingly, what they could make out remained remarkably intact.

It entered into a spacious, sunken in laving room. There was still some furniture here and there, covered in plastic and draped in off white sheets. At the right was a long dead fireplace and a stairwell leading to the second level. To the left was a smaller den. Ahead was the kitchen, hidden by a parturition. Apparently, the planks behind the table were covered some sliding glass leading out onto yet another porch. Upstairs there were three rooms, vacant safe forgotten tomes in obsessively stacked pillars. There was even a basement, damp but otherwise untouched.

At the end of the tour the chimera again made her offer. It was completely their decision if they wanted it or not. There hadn't even been a debate.

That had been a little less than year ago. Though the inside was pristine there was still so much work. Removing the boards, dusting, repairing the outside and repainting. Through the process they had help, of course. Most they accomplished by themselves, wanting to rebuild their life from the ground up. The others still came, regardless, offering assistance and house warming gifts. While Shadow would never outrightly admit his gratitude, he still appreciated everything they had done for him and his mate.

It hadn't taken long for the reunited couple to develop a routine. Since the little building rested on the edge of lake Spirit, they had gotten into the habit of walking along its cobbled beaches and admiring the stillness that came with the onset of twilight. During which time, they would often talk of what had yet to be done or merely muse over the past, gone but not forgotten.

This time around they had discovered a bank of smooth sand shielded by a cropping of soil and exposed roots from a maple tree suspended some feet above the surf. It was still very much alive, peppering the crystalline pool with a myriad of its emerald, aesthetically pleasing leaves. They took a moment in the quite whisper of the wind to absorb the scene. Neither wanted to head back just yet, nor continue forward and leave this treasure to memory. So, instead, they seated themselves upon a beached length of driftwood and watched the sun play with the waves through its silk-thin rays of amber.

Maria was the first to break the silence. She propped her chin upon her palm as she mused, "we have to get rid of the weeds when we get back."

She was referring to the cleanup they had done to the side of the home with the den protrusion. Most of the once choked plant life had been thick stocks of the milkweed, as well as plenty of saplings and thistle. What a mess that had been. But, with the bundle of dead grasses now a rotting pile of compost, that area appeared considerable more tame. What remained they would either have to burn or somehow haul away and out of sight.

"Yeah, but we don't really have to do that today."

"No, I guess not." She added as an after thought, "I wonder if Mirage used that area for something."

She was right. The space existed in such a way that Mirage may have used it for a purpose. Amongst the vines and crippled wood from the building's base, they had found stones making a sort of crescent, a bamboo pipe and a hole that no trespassing animal would naturally make for its den. In all accounts, it could have been mistaken for being once a meditative space, as the ancient hybrid enjoyed such things. Having recently talked of the ARK and Shadow's train of thought as of late, the idea that came to him should not have been as surprising as it was.

"Maybe we could make it into a garden."

Maria turned to him, irises widened in childlike wonder.

"You used to love working with Neaira."

That name, she hadn't heard it in so long, so it felt. "Yeah, we could make it in her memory."

With the mention of the botanist the two returned to the ambiance around them yet again. The colony was a source of both nostalgia and horror equally. For each shred of happiness there came a kernel of dysphoria. Maria had turned away, sight turned to her her fidgeting fingers hidden between her thighs.

As if to accentuate this point, Maria whispered sullenly, "did you really believe we'd be here, like this?" She glanced upward then, towards the pastel, cloud-whipped sky, as if she could somehow make out the indomitable sphere still patrolling Mobius' gravitational pull.

Shadow didn't know how to answer her. He had not expected much of anything when it came to their future, more so his own. "I didn't even think we'd stay together as a couple, honestly."

Astonishment hushed her words as she shifted to view his stoic form. "What?"

And he met her gaze unashamed. "It's not that I didn't believe you loved me." That determination faded. "I had just forced myself to expect you to, at some point, change your mind. So that, when it happened, I wouldn't be as broken. Trust me, it didn't take long for me to forget that that's what I was trying to do. It got so that I couldn't bare the thought of loosing you in my life. You made it so apparent that you truly loved me, regardless of my own fears. And then, it happened."

She knew exactly what he meant by that. There were so few conversations they had yet to have. They had decided to allow the unknowns between them to flow gradually, unforced. Even so, both retained certain secrets.

"What happened… after I..?"

Shadow swallowed dryly. This event needed to air out despite how much he willed it never to have happened. The horrible things he did while speared on by grief could never be forgiven, nor did he expect them to.

"Do you really want to know?"

It didn't matter. "Only if you want to tell me."

He didn't. "I… The escape pod landed in the Luma Ocean and GUN found it pretty quickly, almost like they were expecting it. I was induced into stasis and brought before General Kintobor, Gerald, Charles and some others I didn't recognizes." He scoffed bitterly. "It's a good thing they restrained me first. I lost you, the one and only thing I had in this world. I had nothing left to live for. So, I screamed and spat and threatened everyone there, practically condemning all of Mobius to suffer as you suffered. Nothing they said got through to me because I didn't care. I begged for them to kill me and made sure that, if they didn't, they knew what would happen to them. It must have been Gerald who finally put an end to my ravings. I was placed into a coma and sealed away deep underground in Prison Island.

Of all people, it had to be Ivo. Something happened to me while I was sealed. Granted, fifty years had passed. Somehow, I still feel to this day that GUN had something to do with it. I had amnesia. When he woke me, the only things I could remember were my name, vague references of the ARK with GUN, and you, but not all of you. I had this deep sense of regret and… hatred, but I didn't know why or what to direct it at. That's where Ivo came in.

I did a lot of bad things in your name. As time went on, I started to remember gradually, but I still couldn't shake this loathing inside of me. When we arrived back on the ARK my memories were becoming clearer and I started to relive that horrible day all over again." The hedgehog shut his eye forcefully, pausing to allow the memory passage.

Though all of this she watched him intently, saddened but sympathetic. Astonishingly, none of this was a surprise to her. Maria had somewhat expected as much. There was no question that having her so violently torn from him would cause him to break in such a way. He wasn't a normal anthrope. Even so, who could say if someone else, under similar circumstances, wouldn't have done the same? Who was to say that she wouldn't have done the same?

The main difference being, he actually held the ability to enact any revenge he set himself to. With both his physical and elemental capabilities and an extremely calculative mind, the Ultimate Life Form had literally been created as an instrument of destruction and death. And, in some twisted, roundabout way, South Island had seen all they had wrought finally erupt into fruition.

While her soul had been housed inside the adhyatman, she was able to peek into his memories. Most he had been more than willing to open for her. Then there were the ones he kept deep within his psyche and guarded by shame. Out of respect, she never pried. It was obvious he was plagued by regret and she knew him well enough to understand and accept the things he had done while spurred on by torment. To show this, her petite hand crept forward and alighted on his that had remained clutched to his knee. Upon feeling that feather-light presence he gradually relaxed his grip, allowing her spindly fingers to wriggle under and squeeze him comfortingly.

Glazed, ruby irises shifted to her, his facade almost as if trapped in those distant memories. He shook his quills gingerly before turning away with a sullen frown. "For some reason, I was so afraid to go into the Capsule Chamber where I left you, so afraid of what I would find. I forced myself to just do it and get it over with.

Nothing. I saw nothing and I was glad for it. I can only imagine what I would of done if your body was somehow still there. But my memories, most of them fell into place and I just broke down."

A slight pressure on her hand told her he was squeezing her, possibly reaffirming that she was here now and this wasn't some cruel ploy still being played out. Then, maybe, he wouldn't start crying all over again.

"There was this weird, insignificant speckle of light coming from under the jettison mechanism I had launched from. Your ring. It was your ring." When he finally caught her sight again there was more of a quizzical expression. "How?"

Maria graced him with a tentative smile and shrugged. "I tossed it. I didn't want anyone to take it, if or when they came for my body. I couldn't stand the thought of someone selling it for money or keeping it, not knowing what it meant."

This time she was the one who couldn't keep his gaze. As if sensing that sullen drop in aura, Shadow decreased the space between them and nuzzled beside her nose. His mate responded in turn, reaffirming that this still wasn't a convoluted dream.

"I'm glad. When I found it, I just… cried. I cried so hard and I don't know for how long. It must of been what I needed, what I hadn't been allowed to do when you passed. It helped ease everything into place and I returned to myself, as much as I could, given the circumstances. Your ring was what became the soul stone that housed you."

Maria was not entirely surprised by this fact, either. Had he still had the ring she knew he would have returned it to her as soon as able. It was a weird feeling now, not having that slim band of cooling stone about her finger. The loop-forged gem had been an unintentional symbol of their bonded souls. Though only an object, the significance had been in its meaning. Without it now, she had no way of showing others how proud she was to have this one person to share her existence with. A replacement would have no such strength, in her mind. Maybe one day they would have a true pair of mated bands. Until then, it wasn't something to be overly concerned with. There were far more important tasks to complete first.

With that finally said and over with, Shadow could relax. He still remained seated close to her, the heat of their melded bodies mingling with the nippy wind that rolled off the lapping lake surf. The woman sighed and rested her cheek on his topmost quill, between his ears. With this she hoped to show just how much she loved him, despite the tragedy that had transpired in the wake of her passing. As they grew together on the ARK, her height exceeding his with time. This simple action had been one of the many ways she affirmed her affection without eluding to the true feelings she held within. This had been back before either of them had voiced their hearts to one another.

The day that event finally occurred, she played the same action. And, on that same day, something just as significant transpired as well. It had been shattering in itself, happening not with he and she but, rather, she and another man.

"I never told you."

He hummed in question, muzzle nested contently below her ear with heated breath gingerly tasseling her sun-speckled hair.

"What happened between me and Charles on the night we finally said I love you."

Shadow's eyes reopened cautiously from their lulled state with the thought. Honestly, he hadn't recalled that event in so long. She never did tell him and, as time drew on, he accepted not knowing. If it was something she felt not sharing than he had no right to know. That didn't make him any less wary of the wannabe Guardian at the time.

"It's alright."

Though, if that particular male ever came near his mate again he would ensure his time would be short and unpleasant, to say the least. It amazed and revolted him to know that Charles was still very much alive and full of vigor. The man had ascended to take his father's place as General of GUN. Supposedly, he had also struck a bargain with Black Doom, allowing him to live well beyond his years of youth. For what propose Shadow couldn't say, nor what the alien monarch had received in return. Even so, he had yet to learn of Maria's rebirth, or even where they had settled down, hidden away and safe. Shadow would secretly ensure it was kept that way.

Maria nuzzled beside one of his soft ears, paper-thin yet somehow still flushed comfortably. "Not really. But, now I don't have to worry so much."

The hedgehog pulled away, not unkindly, and examined her. "About what?"

What could have possibly concerned her in telling him? Was it that Charles had threatened her? Could he have made advances and done something when she fought back? Was that why she unintentionally relapsed, so he wouldn't touch her? This string of thoughts wove themselves through his head, sending him into a protective stance.

Noticing his slight shifts in temperament had been a skill she must have been born with. Having grown alongside him made otherwise indiscernible subtleties in his nature startlingly apparent to her. When he was alert and intent on something, his quills would bristle and harden, ears forward and tuned to the thing garnering his distress.

In response to this, her shoulders slumped, frame drooping as if the weight of this secret had suddenly manifested in her bones. She shook her head, simmering locks obscuring her wind kissed cheeks for a few moments in doing so.

"Thank you, Shadow, for being you."

That line, innocent seeming, only served to heighten his growing anxiety. Her fingers, warm and smooth, rolled atop his knuckles and intertwined with his. So small, so different from his own. Yet, for some reason, they fit perfectly, like a completed puzzle. This little fact always astounded him and cooled him all the same. Why was it still considered such a taboo?

"You never treated me like… like I was different. Or, like I was…"

"Maria, what's wrong?" Now he was genuinely frightened.

That inbred instinct to protect her kicked in. Unfortunately, there was nothing apparent to direct it at. He had no target to output this sudden build of malice manifested by her melancholy. All that pressure inside of him dissipated when she lunged for him, enveloping his small but muscular form in her willow-like one. Her arms wrapped his shoulders and pulled him in as close as physically possible.

Her words were wisp-like, low and gone with the passing breeze. "Charles had asked me to be his girlfriend," she began. "I was shocked and scared. I was running to try and find you so I could tell you how I felt. Then, he said what he said and I was speechless. I said no and told him I already had someone who was very important to me." A brief pause. She was forced to collect that memory. At least, this time, she knew the thought of it wouldn't induce an episode.

"He… laughed, and gabbed my wrist. He didn't believe me. He tried to get me to walk somewhere with him but I didn't budge and he gave me this weird look." The woman swallowed dryly. She hated thinking about it but it needed to pass. No more secrets. "I told him that I didn't see him that way and to let me go. Instead, he held be tighter."

She shivered, having nothing to do with the dripping sun along the horizon. In response, he pulled her in closer still, massaging the small of her back to hopefully have her realize he was here and wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"You don't have to tell me," he affirmed. "I already knew he did something of magnitude. That would of been the only reason you started having seizures again."

"I know, but, it was more what he said to me. It reminded me of being helpless. It reminded me of how weak I am and if he did try and… take me… I couldn't protect myself from him. He told me, completely serious, that I was his and that I knew that, everyone knew that, and he would have me, no matter what."

That was why… Realization dawned on the anthrope and it only served to twist his stomach like a pit of loathing snakes. That bastard! That pretty boy little shit! Little things Charles had done during their time together, which had appeared odd and placed Shadow on alert, now suddenly made sense. Shadow had never considered her an item, an object. Though he often called her His Light, the implication wasn't the same, as it meant something entirely different. Now, it wasn't so much in knowing what Charles had said, rather it was how he felt towards Maria. That was why. When she had been taken advantage of as a child, and not able to fight back against someone far stronger and with intent, was something he knew traumatized her. Then, this walking ass-hole had to go and tell her he OWNED her.

"Why… Why didn't you tell me?"

The woman pulled away from his shivering grip, catching his eye just as sternly. "You know why!"

Just like that, the fire inside of him died as that pristine face began to contort and tear.

"If I had told you, you would of immediately gone off and confronted him. And, regardless of the outcome, you would be blamed. That was the one thing I was always so afraid of, you being taken from me, taken somewhere I couldn't follow. I would be all alone and I'd blame myself for loosing one of the only things that made me happy."

He sighed, that build up of malice and regret now utterly dissipated. "You're right. You're always right. If you had told me, that is exactly what I would of done. I would of ran off and possibly done something regrettable and it would hurt you far more than me, in the end." Shadow smiled then, hoping to lift their spirits back. "But, like you said, neither of us have to worry about that anymore."

With that she returned the gesture, though her slumped shoulders still told of the turmoil in her mind. The hedgehog lifted his paws and took that cherubic face of hers tentatively into them, using his thumbs to rid her cheeks of those silver waterfalls. She giggled softly, returning to herself every second.

They didn't have to worry anymore. They were both free, free of the ARK and the control it so exhaustingly exuded. He no longer was forced to endure trials and testing with the end result being slavery. She was no longer confined in a cage both in body and in mind. And, the best part was, they had each other. Somehow, they had made it out together. They were a family again.

And, as that one thought slipped through another pin of torment drove itself in deep.

"There's something else."

Her mate shook his quills in disregard. "Please, you don't have to say anymore."

"No, this doesn't have to do with Charles."

She was figuring that was what he meant and she was correct. His muzzle drooped. What else could have possibly happened that she kept from him? Her palms came up and kindly lifted his from her, laying them onto her thighs. She no longer could catch his gaze in confidence.

"I don't know… how to say this… Just that, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

He responded instantly and without fear. "There is nothing you've done that I wouldn't forgive, I promise you. The fact that you still care about me even after all the things I've done is… unbelievable. I'm not worthy of that, I know. But you, you've done nothing in need of forgiving by anyone's standards. If they say otherwise, I'll personally make them eat those words."

His confidence lifted her for a moment. "Thank you, but listen. The day we were deciding to leave, the day the colony was sealed, I went to see Neaira to say goodbye. We got talking and I brought up some odd things that had started happening to me over the last moth or so. Somehow she figured out… I should of known but I didn't think it was possible. It's shouldn't of been possible, not between you and me. Shadow," she made sure he was intent on her, gauging him, "I was pregnant."

His muzzle fell immediately. The only word that escaped his lips was a sullen and near indiscernible "what?"

Maria sighed, form slumping as shame and regret settled onto her shoulders. "Almost right after that was when the Guardians came. Neaira sacrificed herself to save me… so I could get away and find you… so we could leave together… I couldn't find you and these horrible thoughts started taking over. That was why I made that decision. I shouldn't of. I didn't know what Grandpa did for us. Had I known we would of been okay on the surface I wouldn't of sent you away. We could of…"

This time he was the one that lunched for her. "Stop, please…"

He squeezed her against himself, hoping the heat of his body would stall her shivering. Streams of liquid cooled his shoulder as she began to sob into him. Shadow no longer held back, though his were near silent in comparison.

They had a baby? They actually had a baby? How? That didn't make any sense. He was supposedly made sterile. Maria's fertility could be explained simply due to the introduction of her medication. But, there was no way. Unless, of course, Gerald lied or simply didn't know. Either could have been plausible. What made things worse was how Scarlet Doom, one of a kind with Black Doom, had used that knowledge against him. Shadow had figured she had been lying in order to make him compliant. Now, the truth in the horrid, knowing grin made him shudder in revulsion.

"When I died," Maria's muffled voice cut through his train of thought. "I don't know if this always happens when you die, but I could see myself. I was hovering over my own body. It was horrible and it only got worse. The soldiers left my body to rot, like they didn't care at all what they did. It didn't take long for him to die too… Shadow, I held him. I held our baby. He was so small. He fit in my hands…"

By this point the woman he adored had broken down against him. Her tears continued to dampen his ebony fur as she tried desperately to nuzzle further into him. His own nose brushed against her ear, dewing her locks with his own. There were no words he could think of worth speaking. Instead, Shadow squeezed her tight, rolling his palms into her spine in rhythmical massages like he had done before.

"He only stayed for a minute or two. He kind of, just, dissolved and I was alone… Everything got so dark and lonely. Some people finally came and took me away but I found out _I_ couldn't leave no matter how hard I tried. For some reason, I was stuck there, in the capsule chamber. It felt like forever and, I was fading, like he did. Only, it was taking me longer. My memories were slipping through my fingers so I know how you felt waking up after being sealed.

"I can sort of recall when you came in." Her frame stopped shaking and her voice no longer cracked. "A lot of it is only a blur but I know it was you. I could recall hardly anything but your presence just felt right and warm, like I belonged with it. Somehow, I was able to leave with you, follow you. I think I may even know when you got the gem too. There was this voice that was deep but distant. I can't recall exactly what he said, but he held me like I did with our baby. Then, I didn't have to chase after you anymore. You were carrying me instead and I was gradually remembering.

"You talked to me, even though I couldn't figure out how to respond. You held me and I felt so secure and loved."

Maria's frame finally relaxed considerably, leaning into him as if attempting to relive that sensation all over again. One thing Shadow would never voice to her, though she possibly knew already, was that in some ways he enjoyed when her soul had been housed within that diminutive stone. The adhyatman made it so much easer to protect her. He could simply carry her in the palm of his paw and keep her hidden away from all those who would have used her, abused her. In this way their souls had also been one and the same, interlocked, twisted and knotted together into a single entity. In the end, however, he still preferred her of flesh and blood. Now he could actually feel her, the wonderful heat of her body and silken skin, instead of the ball of frigid light she had been as a shade.

"You would tell me you were sorry and you were always so sad and I couldn't do anything. You have no idea how many times I tried to get in touch with you. Whenever you said you were going to release me I would panic because I only just found you, I didn't want to start fading away again."

By this point her body had curled into him further, this time with his chin resting on her crown. He could recall the day vividly when she had finally regained enough the be able to bypass the crystal's metaphysical wall. That statement had confused him at the time. Now, of course, he understood. That was what the afterlife had been. Not a content place, where one wanted for nothing. Rather, she had gradually lost herself, becoming one with the energies that eternally flowed through Mobius.

"If it's any consolation, we really don't know what would of happened." He began after a short period of silence, not really knowing what else to say. "There could of been complications or possibly the woman the Professor talked with would go back on her word, once she found out. You might of died in child birth." He pressed her head into his chest at the thought. "We just don't know."

With those words her body became limp, the regret and devastation finally melting away. The sky had shifted into diamond studded velvet with the moon a miraculous pearl. The air, dampened by the lake, bit to the bone and so it was time to head back. Shadow hadn't even voiced this decision, instead, lifting the woman he cherished so dearly into his arm with one smooth scoop. She, surprised by the sudden act, actually giggled a little as they trotted back home. Home…

Only once inside through the sliding glass doors of the kitchen did he release her. They would worry about the stupid weeds in the morning. It was late and they hadn't even eaten anything before setting out on their walk. As such, Maria set to a meal while her mate entered into the living room and set the fireplace ablaze. They spent the growing evening bundled together on the sofa, wrapped in a fluffy, plaid throw and bellies full of spaghetti and meatballs while they watched the news.

Maria always fell asleep first, head rested across his abdomen with gentle breath expelled in predictable puffs. Shadow's nails tenderly combed through her buttery locks, draping them behind one petite ear and smoothing each length down her nape. The action had become a reflex, part of their nightly routine. After the day they had had, he was already nodding off as well. The decision was made once he felt his quills brushing the edge of the arm rest. It was time to head up.

The anthrope shut down the television, The only light to guide him now was the simmering embers of citrine and cinnabar that remains flickering in the hearth beneath. Thankfully, that was all that was needed. With little effort, he again took the woman he adored into his arms and carried her upstairs. The only noise that accompanied their ascent came from the ancient stairwell as each step groaned in annoyance. At the top, a long hallway ending in a triangular window. Through it's meticulously cleaned glass came beams of silver night light, guiding a path to the master bedroom at the far end of the navy carpet.

Once inside, he laid her lithe frame atop the puffy comforter shaded a metallic cobalt from the window positioned in the far wall, making her appear as if floating atop a midnight ocean. She awoke briefly then, as the silk of his bare fur receded and was replaced by the weight of their early autumn sheets. Her sapphire irises gazed at him intently as he made his way around the queen-sized mattress and shimmied under the covers to join her. The couple cuddled affectionately once settled in, actions sluggish with the onset of fatigue. Their lips brushed each other again and again in near silent pecks, arms enfolding frames made limp and pliable.

There was always the chance to try again, now that it had been proven that their DNA was compatible. But, not tonight. Everything they had gone through left both mentally and physically drained. This night was best spent in one another's infallible aura. Their burdens had been lifted. No more secrets were left to be bared. All that remained was a pair of deeply bonded souls, made so through time and hardship. And, with a future as yet to be seen, it's hope brightened all the possibilities that yet awaited them. Tomorrow was a new day, a new beginning for a life worth living.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

The reason why these sections are not written out, like I had done for 'Grandmother Winter', is because they all have been part of other works or plan to be at some point.

Mirage is a bio-android (like Shadow) but created by Prof. Gerald's mentor, Prof. Eevanno. She is a BGC that sometimes helps the Freedom Fighters. She had her premier with Knuckles but is actually Rouge's adoptive mother. She becomes a larger part of the Future series as she herself is the mentor for the next generation of Freedom Fighters.

Neaira was one of the scientists on the ARK. She acted as Maria's mother figure before ultimately perishing during the Takeover.

Scarlet Doom is another alien of the same species as Black Doom. Her appearance happens after Devil Doom falls, as she takes Shadow to their home world in the hopes of finally converting him into one of them. Throughout NAA's rendition of the game ShTH, she takes the form of Maria and uses this to coax Shadow into action. It is also revealed that Maria's death was her doing, implanting the 'what ifs' inside her head, making her hesitant about going down to Mobius with a baby and then having one of the soldiers specifically target her despite not wanting to kill anyone. Black Doom is hands on when it comes to getting what he wants while Scarlet is more of a behind the scenes worker.

Dolby is Shadow's soul parent. He is a Knowledge, another alien species, who have the ability to split their soul into pieces willingly. Black Doom steals one of his souls and places it into Shadow, aside from his own blood. So, while Shadow has the blood of Black Doom his soul is that of Dolby's. Dolby is the one who changes Maria's ring into the adhyatman and subsequently places her fleeting energies -that have been following Shadow- inside it to jump start the process. An interesting thing to note on: he actually had the full capacity to completely bring Maria back to life. However, one flaw Knowledges have is that they enjoy meddling and seeing how things play out naturally. It's like a god's game to them, as they are immortal and with all the powers of reality manipulation. Think of them like a gamer who has all the capacity to cheat and win but doesn't do so because it ruins the fun.

Shadow wasn't born sterile. This was an accident on Gerald's part. He was supposed to be but due to the way the Darwin (the genome splicing supercomputer Gerald used and Eevanno invented) works, it registered Shadow not being a 'Chimera'. IE, Shadow's genetic coding (before the input of Doom's blood) could have naturally occurred through breeding. Otherwise, the fertility of a bio-android has to be manually edited. As such, Oasis, Mirage, their brother who didn't come to term, and Sadie are all considered 'Chimeras' and can not produce children naturally because of how unnatural their DNA sequencing is. Dansumo and Hanumo both could have had the ability but were manually made sterile during the structuring of their genome.

A lot of what happened during the Takeover involved the butterfly effect, something I love playing around with. What's only mentioned briefly here is that, the day the ARK was overtaken was the day Gerald pulled Shadow aside and told him to leave with Maria to Mobius, something they were already planning to do in secret as this happens after 'Darkness and Light.' Gerald had gotten a hold of a colleague and friend still on the surface and informed her of what was going on. This individual, Professor Jewelby, agreed and would have helped them out when they got to the planet's surface. Unfortunately, right when Shadow was planning to bolt off, the General walked in and, instead of doing what he planned, Shadow stayed and listened to the man pretty much condom the entire colony. This is only one of many factors that changed their fate, but the main one I focused on for 'Silver's Story'. See below:

An AU for NAA is in the making that involves the two actually making it to Mobius successfully and having their son, Silver. It will be called 'Silver's Story' but, unfortunately, will not be up and running for quite some time. This is the same Silver that goes back in time during NAA's interpretation of the events of STH'06. As such, you can figure how wrong that world went and in the end the way the Takeover occurred in the official timeline for NAA was the better outcome involving Shadow and Maria.

While I've never had an interest in domestic living, I've always romanticized Shadow and Maria in such a setting. I'm not exactly sure why this is.


End file.
